Browsing through Somali websites on the International Women’s
Day on March 8, two episodes attracted my attention; one was
heartwarming and inspiring while the other was disheartening and sad.

Heartwarming was seeing Somali women in Mogadishu celebrating
the International Women’s Day in their
traditional Somali butterfly attire since the routing of Al Shabaab
from the city.

In a scene that was reminiscent of the old days before
extremist ideologies and alien cultures shrouded the beauty and
intelligence of Somali women in mourning garments, it was refreshing to
see them come out dressed in their modest but elegant Diric,
garbosaar and hagoog or Masar attire and celebrate the International
Women’s Day in a dinner hosted by the TFG President Sheikh Sharif’s two
wives. One cannot but be delighted by the transformation that took place
in a few months since Al Shabaab were driven out from Mogadishu. In
their days, women were not allowed to celebrate even weddings let alone
international events. They were forced to wear the Al Shabaab ordained
head-to-toe black cloaks and publicly rebuked and sometimes punished for
wearing bras. It was equally enchanting to see Sheikh Sharif himself
attending the women’s dinner. Some may argue and rightly whether sitting
between his two wives was sending the wrong signal to the millions of
Somali girls who would be watching this event from around the world. But
the fact that a Somali president who himself went through a remarkable
transformation was attending a women’s dinner party itself reflected the
air of freedom that Somali women in Mogadishu were now breathing.

The women’s quick change of heart and garb is also a proof of
the Somali women’s teflonian character that rejects alien cultures to
stick to them no matter how forcefully it is imposed on them. Now, Al
Shabaab can see that just like any people living under tyranny, Somali
women had never accepted the unaesthetic lifestyle that they tried to
impose on them. Just like fascism, communism and the countless tin pot
dictators that have all gone and left nothing but bad memory behind, Al
Shabaab will only be remembered by the amputated limps of the youth that
they left behind. Hope has returned to Somali women and should never
leave them again.

The disheartening episode however was a heart wrenching
report and plea for help that Amina Elmi Fareed, a brave woman and head
of a civilian organization by the name of CDA, so eloquently and
strongly related about the
rape and humiliation that women in the Awdal & Salal regions of
Somaliland had to endure.

In a press conference that she held on the eve of the
International Women’s Day, Amina reported that her organization had
recorded 10 rape crimes in the past months.

In a tone mixed with sadness and helplessness, Amina narrated
how she appealed to Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs over the last
successive years and in fact to all relevant government institutions to
bring an end to the recurrent crimes of rape against women.

She was appalled by how men who commit such heinous crimes
against women are protected and defended by the society and how the
society dismisses the tears and shattered dignity of women victims.

In a rare and brave repudiation of the complacency of
traditional elders such as Sultans, Chiefs, Ministers and the community
of men towards rape victims, she said: “ninka wax kufsanaya caaqilkii
baa daba socda oo wasiirkii baa daba socda oo suldaankii baa daba socda
oo communitigii baa daba socda. Miyaanay haddaba ayaan darro ahayn
gabadh xuquuqdeedii lagu xad gudbay ee haddana raggii waaweynaa oo dham
isku soo kaxaysanayaan…bal wiil yar oo dhalinyaro ahi haba xadgudbo,
qoladan waaweyn ee ninkii wax kufsaday daba socotaa anigu wax laga
xishoodo ayaan u arkaa. Waa wax laga xishoodo.” (The man who commits
the rape has the minister, the clan chief, the sultan and the community
behind him. Isn’t unfortunate to see a woman whose dignity and rights
have been violated has still to face all these prominent men alone. I
can understand if a young commits such a crime but to see these
prominent men of the society rallying behind the criminal is indeed
shameful, very shameful).

Amina appealed to the government to enact strong laws
criminalizing rape and giving harsh punishment to those who commit rape.

In fact rape has become rampant not only in Somaliland but
all the Somali territory. Dr. Ahmed Dahir Aden, Sexual Assault Referral
Center (SARC) at Hargeysa General Hospital, reported that: "Rape cases
are on the rise
in Somaliland year after year. For example, in our office, we
recorded 105 rape cases [in 2010] and the number [in 2011] has increased
to 145." It also soars in
Galkayo, in Mogadishu’s
IDP camps.

Despite this disheartening picture, it is encouraging to see
brave women such as Amina Elmi Fareed stand up, strongly and bravely
against men favoring culture and to shame community elders and
government officials for being accomplices of crime against women. Amina
and all other unsung Somali women struggling to lift centuries old
injustices against women deserve the support of every conscientious
Somali. Ironically, it is women who despite bearing the brunt of all
society’s ills that have kept the
Somali people afloat over the last 20 years of internecine wars and
misery caused by men.